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At the end of a stressful day I often have some neck pain and a
headache. How can I prevent this from happening?
By Jessica DeMars
Headaches and neck pain are common in today’s computer-driven workplace.
Prolonged sitting, poorly designed work space and an increase in stress
contribute to the problem. In order to alleviate or prevent headaches and
neck pain, it is best to take a multi-faceted approach to the situation:
1) Posture - Sitting slouched in your chair and squinting at
the screen is a major culprit in headaches. This posture puts undo stress on
the upper cervical spine joints and shortens neck muscles causing headaches
near the back of the head.
Remedy: Sit back as far as you can in your chair with feet flat on
the floor. Your chair should have some lumbar support to help maintain the
concave curve in the lower spine; if it doesn’t, use a rolled up towel. Now
imagine there is a string attached to the notch at the base of your neck and
it is being pulled up to the ceiling. This lifts your breastbone up, which
straightens up your back. It also pulls your head into a better position and
brings your shoulders back.
2) Ergonomics - Poor screen and keyboard positions can lead to
problems such as repetitive strain injury, headaches and neck pain.
Remedy: Make sure the computer screen is at eye level no more than 76
cm (30”) away. Sit up straight in your chair, feet flat on the floor and
place your hands on the keyboard. Adjust your armrests to support your
elbows at 90 degrees. Leaving your arms unsupported causes increased tension
on the muscles on the top of your shoulders, which again leads to neck pain
and headaches.
3) Breathing - When the work piles up and the phone keeps
ringing, stress levels start to rise. During stressful situations we often
adjust our breathing, either by holding our breath, breathing too quickly or
using our neck muscles to assist with breathing.
Remedy: Relax the shoulders by rolling them back and down. Close your
mouth and breathe only through the nose. Breathe in for a count of four and
out for a count of six. Place one hand on your belly and one on your chest;
while you are practising your breathing, make sure only the hand on your
belly moves. This type of breathing will help lower the heart rate, blood
pressure and allow oxygen to flow freely to the tissues, decreasing stress
and anxiety.
For more advice on this subject, contact Jessica DeMars at Bragg
Creek Physiotherapy at 403.949.4008 or email
physiobc@davincibb.net
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